England are blown away by the power and verve of O'Driscoll's men

The tensions at the home of Gaelic sports were all rugby-related in the end, the sometimes laboured but undeniable weight of history put to one side as Ireland gave England a record 30-point larrupping, the sort that leaves scars.

Ireland blew it against France, in the very first rugby match at this historic ground, but they were hugely impressive in every department here. Only occasionally did their concentration lapse, and their commitment never did. The lasting image, though, was one of enterprise and confidence. Despite what some of their England detractors were saying earlier in the week, this is an Ireland team to take very seriously.

Ronan O'Gara had one of his better games for Ireland, Jonny Wilkinson a much quieter time behind a beaten pack. Brian O'Driscoll returned with a vengeance, Gordon D'Arcy was too slick for England, as the backs ran with unfettered verve. In the forwards, Paul O'Connell and Donncha O'Callaghan were immense, urged on by the fox-like Peter Stringer, who bossed Harry Ellis most of the afternoon. That's four wins in a row for Ireland over England now - the sort of history we ought to be talking about.

The Irish hospitality lingered a few moments past the respectful reception of the anthems, when they infringed at the breakdown and Jonny Wilkinson accepted the gift of a long penalty. But for the remaining 38 minutes of the half, England were turned and punished relentlessly.

This was never going to be about one celebrated fly-half, though. Ronan O'Gara, whose presence is more commanding by the match, is probably the finest field kicker in the game, and he showed all his tricks here. Early on he targeted England's left flank, where young David Strettle was making his debut.

Strettle is dangerously quick and elusive. Twice in the first quarter of an hour he gathered O'Gara's hanging chip, beat his man and made ground for the next phase. He also looked composed in snuffing out a promising Irish rush down his flank with a crash tackle.

Andy Farrell, an older 'new boy', held on in the ruck and O'Gara struck his second penalty from short range, bang into the middle of Hill 16 - and who thought we would ever see such a thing?

Light rain and a faint breeze wafted over that end, famously built from the rubble of the Easter Uprising - but you can bet all the drenched supporters there were thinking of was how Ireland were steadily grinding down England up front. With the aid of O'Gara's educated boot, England were under constant pressure.

When they did make it across the halfway line, Ireland stole the line-out and ran it back at them. England struggled again at the next throw-in, and O'Gara put his team six points clear.

Up to this point it had been boringly, effectively attritional. Something rather more entertaining arrived with a bright incursion down the left by Gordon D'Arcy, which Denis Leamy embellished with a storming run to within inches of the line. At the ruck, Danny Grewcock could not resist tampering with the ball on the Irish side and was sent to the bin.

From the next scrum, Ireland spun it wide, through D'Arcy's flick and Brian O'Driscoll's flat pass to Girvan Dempsey, who was almost celebrating halfway through his dive over the line.

The crowd sang 'Alive, Alive-o!' and, with Ireland 16-3 up, the game all of a sudden was just that, full of wonderful possibilities after a tough, dour start.

Mathew Tait, on for Olly Morgan, saved a try when he threw himself into D'Arcy's considerable midriff only yards from his line. But, at the next ruck, Stringer fed David Wallace and he burrowed through. O'Gara, in impeccable kicking form in difficult conditions, converted to give Ireland a 20-point lead at the break.

Ireland could have closed it down with brute force in the second half but delighted the capacity crowd with some glorious and inventive attacking rugby. O'Gara turned the knife with a gimme penalty when they returned and a record walloping beckoned, not something even England's harshest critics would have anticipated.

Strettle thought otherwise. With D'Arcy wrapped around his legs, he stretched over in the left corner for a try that breathed some life back into a demoralised England. They were given further heart by Wilkinson's touchline conversion, although the difference was still three scores.

The challenge for Ireland was to ward off the woeful inattentiveness that cost them victory in the closing moments against France. Would they be roused by the stinging pre-match taunt of the former England hooker, Brian Moore, who accused them of being serial bottlers? Would Andy Robinson's observation that O'Driscoll never plays well against England haunt or inspire them?

O'Driscoll, back from injury, was already proving wonderfully inspirational alongside D'Arcy - but the man making Ireland buzz was O'Gara.

The tension rose like steam from a kettle as England strove for any sort of parity. A Wilkinson penalty from halfway fell inches short; Strettle spilled a reverse pass when space and support was all around; Dempsey cleared his lines... and Jonny boy put another one over to put England two scores behind with 25 minutes left. But Tom Palmer, on for Grewcock, raked at the next ruck and O'Gara restored the gap.

Thereafter, Ireland ran the ball with verve, O'Driscoll, Horgan and D'Arcy the chief tormentors, as England searched vainly for openings that closed with the emphatic clunk of a bank door. Ireland put the game beyond England's already feeble grasp a quarter of an hour from the end with a deft crossfield kick that Shane Horgan, so energetic all afternoon, leapt above poor Strettle to accept over the line.

An intercept try at the end by Isaac Boss, on for Stringer, and the formality of O'Gara's conversion rounded out a miserable afternoon for England. They were mere dancing partners at the end, and not very pretty ones.